Waiting in the Rain
by TobiLeFaye
Summary: Eva came from a poor family,was banished from the fire nation, and met Zuko. What happens when she falls for him? Title is subject to change.
1. Eva's Prologue

Prologue:

"Eva. You need to come inside. He won't be back for a while and all that waiting in the rain will do is make you sick." My kind employer gently grabbed my arm and tried to pull me back into the Inn.

"Its alright, I don't get sick that easily. I can wait" Even through the rain, Mrs. Rai could tell I was adamant. She finally gave up and threw a wool blanket at me.

"At least use this to keep warm." She said before going back inside.

I was drenched, but I didn't care, it wasn't the first time I'd waited in the rain for Zuko.


	2. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is Annie! Heres a story I've been keeping stored in my brain since before Sozin's Comit was released. Hope you enjoy.(and maybe i'll update this one more frequently than my others)

Chapter 1

The first time was nearly a year ago, shortly after I was banished from the Fire Nation. At the time, I hadn't known it would be the Fire Prince and his uncle who would rescue me from the wilderness.

I was wandering through a forest just inside Earth Kingdom territory. I was nearly dead from lack of food. It was raining when Iroh found me. He found me curled up in a ball under a tree, my only clothes soaked with mud and rain. He must have carried me back to where he and Zuko were staying, because the next thing I knew I was half-asleep by a glowing fire.

I stood up, my damp clothes sticking to my skin, and tried to understand what had happened. Some stranger had taken me, for some reason I could only explain as kindness or pity, to this warm place. I assume they thought they were doing me a favor by saving me, but, grateful as I was for their thought, I didn't really want to be saved.

Since I was banished, I had nothing to live for. My parents sold me out, my friends wouldn't even notice my disappearance (some friends right?), and I was better off dead, anyway.

I looked around at the dimly lit room. Everything was covered in dust, except for a few pairs of footprints leading in and out of the room and a place beside the fire where I had been sleeping.

Also beside the fire were two cups on top of a pile of neatly folded clothes. I sat back down beside the fire and picked up the cups. One contained freshly cooked rice and the other had hot tea.

I grabbed the cup of rice and started eating.

After I finished the rice, I started on the tea. It was something I'd never had before, but it was pleasant.

The tea and rice disappeared way too soon. It was then that I realized that eating had messed up my plan to let myself die. Maybe living wasn't so bad. I guess I would decide later.

I was getting drowsy after drinking the hot tea, but I forced myself to stay awake. I picked up the stack of clothes; there was a red silk shirt and some pants made of a thick brown material. I supposed that they were for me to change into. I looked around for someone that might be watching, and, after seeing no one, changed. The shirt was bit too big for me, but it was better than the soaking thing I was wearing. The pants fit perfectly. I continued to look around the room after I changed. There was a mirror in the corner of the room, covered, like everything else around it, in dust. I wiped some off and contemplated my reflection.

The young woman staring back at me was unrecognizable. Her long black hair plastered itself to her face and neck, and mud and dirt were smeared across her face. Dark circles surrounded her bright green eyes.

"Eva, what have you done to yourself?" I whispered to my reflection. Then I heard shouting coming from the room next to mine. It sounded like two men were arguing. One sounded my age (around fourteen), and the other sounded a lot older.

"…brought her here like some stray cat you found on the street! She'll probably rob us then leave! Do you know who she is?"

"Zuko, you will not talk about a young woman like that, no matter what her background!"

"But do you know the circumstances under which she was banished!?"

I stopped listening; I already knew my story, and apparently so did the two in the other room. At least I wouldn't have to explain it to them later, it's not a memory I wish to relive.

Exhaustion rolled over me again. I curled up by the fire in my nice, dry clothes and went back to sleep.


End file.
